Check out my Saturday (9-26-26) Santa Anita Park Race 3 analysis below.
SA 3 (G2 City of Hope Mile, 8T) – Post Time 5:06 PM ET
Primary – #2 EL POTENTE, #6 King of Gosford
Secondary – #5 Irish Aces, #4 Detain
Horse Comments:
#2 El Potente (9-5) wired the field as the even money favorite in the G3 Thunder Road at 8T in February, and he rallied to finish second by a half-length in the G2 Kilroe Mile March 7 (show finisher next-out winner). He returned from a layoff of 5+ months and chased the pace from post 11 and was third by a neck as the favorite in the G2 Del Mar Mile Aug. 22. He is 6-for-10 at SA and always runs his race at one mile on turf (8 4-2-2).
#6 King of Gosford (8-5) captured his last two flat mile turf stakes at DMR. He set a pressured pace and won the Wickerr by 1 1/4 lengths as the favorite July 19, and he stalked from an outer post and prevailed by a head in the G2 Del Mar Mile Aug. 22. This is third start off a short layoff and he likes this course (9 5-1-2) and distance (10 5-1-1).
#5 Irish Aces (6-1) was part of the trifecta in 7 of his last 10 starts. He won the restricted Tapit in 2024 and was second in the G3 Tampa Bay last year. In his last two stakes starts at WO, he rallied to finish second by a half-length in the G2 Connaught Cup, and he was third by a head in the G2 King Edward at 8T Aug. 15. Joel Rosario hops aboard Brendan Walsh’s shipper and he will try to get involved from off the pace.
#4 Detain (8-1) finished third as the favorite in his first start at this country at SA June 7 (OC-80k/2x, 8T). He scored as the favorite at DMR July 17 (OC-100k/2x, 8.5T), and he rallied to miss by a head in the G2 Del Mar Mile at 3-1 odds Aug. 22. Juan Hernandez strings along and he will try to get involved from off the pace.
Wagers:
#2 to win
Exacta box 2-6
Trifecta 2-6/2-4-5-6/2-4-5-6
September 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
Sept. 3 – Unbinding/Hey Lil Lady/Nikolina Trifecta ($77.60)
Sept. 4 – Daytona Diamond ($3.00), Trifecta ($32.60)
Sept. 5 – Magnificat ($4.80), Quinella ($17.40)
Sept. 7 – Medoro ($8.60), Exacta ($20.40), Trifecta ($182.00)
Sept. 8 – Jesse/Bonafide Exacta ($18.80)
Sept. 13 – Dustem Too ($7.20)
Sept. 14 – Duration ($8.20), Exacta ($21.60)
Sept. 16 – Bob’s Carrot ($6.98)
Sept. 19 – San Siro ($8.60), Exacta ($18.00)
Sept. 20 – Jasmina ($4.00)
Sept. 23 – Memory/Pagode Exacta ($39.28)
*All winning wagers based on $2 payoffs unless noted otherwise.
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